Familiarity
by Mystwalker
Summary: A series of one-shots set in the Erenne and Fiefling universes. Nightlin.
1. Sweet Dreams

**A/N:** As promised, the first of a series of one-shots set in the _Erenne _and _Fiefling _universes. Chronologically, this one shot occurs between the two stories, so if you want the story before this, read _Erenne. _If you want Cian's own story, read _Fiefling_.

The series is marked as Complete, because each one-shot is complete in itself, but when I get more ideas, I'll add them here. This particular ficlet contains _slight _spoilers for _Cast in Peril_, but only in the case of two things: Nightshade apparently has an awesome singing voice, and the Barrani have odd ideas of what makes a good lullaby.

**Disclaimer:**I do not own the Chronicles of Elantra. They belong to Michelle Sagara.

**Sweet Dreams**

To say Kaylin was a nervous wreck upon returning to work for the first time since Cian's birth would be an understatement. She never thought she would see the day when she _wanted _her leave to be longer—most of the time she was forced on leave, she was chafing at the bit to get back in the office. This time, however, she had spent quite a bit of time remembering that Cian had just discovered crying and making a fuss got results, and that the Castle was full of Barrani men, many of whom, she was almost certain, had probably never even _held _a baby.

So as soon as work let out, she rushed home, staying just long enough to tell Marcus that, yes, he could tell Kayala she would come over to visit, and promising Severn that, yes, he could tell Linn the same. She managed to slip out of the office before anyone else could say the same. Apparently, _everyone _wanted to see the baby.

Kaylin, at this point, counted as part of _everyone_. She had just been contemplating whether or not jumping out the window was a viable escape plan when Severn came to her rescue, as he always did. He walked her to the bridge, and seemed in a fairly good mood about it too, which puzzled her until she remembered that Cian's birth had probably won him a good chunk of the office betting pool. Teela had apparently been on the same side of the betting pool as Severn—she had been surprisingly green-eyed when she came to talk to Kaylin today, informing her that she could bring Cian to the office sometime if she wanted to give her a proper Barrani role model.

Kaylin, thinking of the Barrani Hawk who drank like a fish, got into bar brawls that would have put human Hawks out of action for a few days, and would probably drive a carriage into a curb if had the chance, refrained from pointing out that she wasn't sure that would be much better. In contrast, Tain's eyes were slightly on the blue side, and he refused to even look at Teela.

But regardless, she had managed to escape, and was quick to see Severn off at the Ablayne, doing her best to walk briskly through the streets and not jog frantically towards the Castle. She was concerned enough that she stepped through the portal herself instead of waiting for Nightshade to come out and get her, letting out a sigh of relief when it left her only a little dizzy, instead of giving her the usual discomfort and disorientation. It had been nicer to her since Cian was born—whether that was because of Cian or because of the events of the night of her birth, she wasn't sure, but she wasn't going to complain about it.

A little dizziness was easy to walk off, and by the time she entered the Long Halls, she was already walking at her usual pace.

It seemed like her worry wasn't entirely unfounded. As soon as she crossed into the area that held Cian's room, she could hear the faint sound of crying. She lengthened her stride, wondering for just a moment if Cian had been fussy all day, and if Nightshade had somehow just left her there for some gods-unknown reason.

The sound of crying grew in volume, and Kaylin debated whether or not she would look like a lunatic if she ran. She was just about to burst in through the nursery door when she stopped in her tracks. Another voice had joined Cian.

This one wasn't crying. It was singing.

It was a deep, rich voice, although it sang softly, as if it's owner didn't want to be overheard. She recognized it instantly. She had heard Nightshade sing a few times before, on the long road on the way to the West March, his harmony intertwining with the Consort's melody in a fusion that had been so perfect she had almost forgotten about little things like, well, saving the Barrani Court, while listening to it. She had heard him sing in her mind, guiding her into carrying the harmony for the Consort in his place—her version of the song had been markedly less perfect. Neither of those were experiences easily forgotten.

And she realized, with a start, that she recognized the song he was singing. It was the song Hallionne Bertolle had sung to the Court as they slept, the song that had taken the edge off the Consort's nerves for a moment and let her sleep.

It was, the Consort had told her, the Barrani equivalent to a lullaby.

She hesitated, transfixed by the sound of his voice as she stood with one hand on the doorframe, looking out into the room. He was standing in front of Cian's cradle, his back towards her. Kaylin realized dimly that as he sang, the sounds of crying had died down, replaced by the soft gurgling sounds of the infant cooing.

She really couldn't blame Cian for that one.

At length, even the soft sounds Cian was making died out entirely, and with it, the singing came to a close. Nightshade looked over his shoulder at her, his eyes telling her that he had known she was there from the moment she entered. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding, walking over to him. "Please tell me that wasn't the one that promises a gruesome and terrible death to your enemies," she said.

He smiled in response. It was a very Barrani smile. "Did you entirely miss the part about dreamless sleep and safety, _Erenne?" _he asked. "I find the song a comfort."

"You would," said Kaylin in response, coming to stand next to him. She couldn't help the stupid smile on her face as she looked down into the cradle at Cian. She understood for the first time why some of the Hawks who were new parents felt the need to tell everyone everything that their baby did, although she did generally remember to hold back unless she was asked. Cian was fast asleep, her breathing soft and steady and her head tilted slightly to the side. Kaylin trailed her fingers across her daughter's cheek, sweeping dark hair out of her eyes before looking up at Nightshade.

He was watching her with a mix of amusement and something else on his face. The something else was not something she had yet been able to name, but it was the sort of thing that made her occasionally wonder if there was a transitory color between green and violet. She glanced at his eyes. They were still fully emerald, so it looked like she would not be getting her answer at this time.

"I don't know if promising gruesome deaths is the best way to get a child to sleep," she said, smiling in spite of herself, because content of the lullaby aside, Nightshade _had _sung Cian to sleep.

"What do mortals sing, then?" asked Nightshade.

Kaylin frowned, trying to think through the lullabies she had heard in the foundling halls, and the ones that came from a time when she was younger, before her mother died and the world became entirely too cold. "...Other things," she said. "Sweet dreams, silly stories, things like that."

Nightshade inclined his head towards the cradle, and Kaylin understood after a moment that he expected her to sing. She took a deep breath, about to argue, but since he had all but asked her outright to defend her claim that mortal lullabies were more suitable, turned towards Cian instead and sung the first thing that came to mind.

It was, unfortunately, Rock-A-Bye, Baby, which was in hindsight probably not the best example. She realized it as she reached the end, trailing off lamely on the last note and glancing up at him, trying not to look too sheepish. He quirked a brow at her.

"_Erenne_," he said. "I fail to see how accidental death due to parental negligence is much better."

"Well, it's not the best example," she said, remembering in time to keep quiet for Cian's sake. "It was just the first that came to mind."

"The point stands," replied Nightshade. He glanced down at Cian as she shifted in her sleep, then looked back over at Kaylin. "...She will sleep for some time yet," he said. "Have you eaten?"

She recognized it as an invitation to dine with him, so she shook her head, taking his offered arm and letting him lead her out of the room. As he left, he closed the door to the nursery behind him, looking inside one last time to make sure nothing was amiss before leading her towards the dining hall.

"Besides, _Erenne," _he said calmly as they walked. "It wasn't entirely an unfounded promise."


	2. Bright Blades

**A/N:** Another _Cast in Peril _reference. I just couldn't resist. This one's slightly more serious in tone than the last one, although if I can actually sit down and write it, the next one will be funnier. Enjoy! (Also, _Fiefling _is going to take a little bit to update because school and editing my novel is driving me crazy. However, NaNoWriMo is coming up in November, so if anyone wants to read the project I have planned, let me know and I'll link you guys to it. ^^)

**Disclaimer:**I do not own the Chronicles of Elantra. They belong to Michelle Sagara.

**Bright Blades**

Kaylin winced, watching as Cian gripped the sword by the hilt again, raising it up over her head to bring it downwards in a slash. She immediately stepped forward, grabbing the girl lightly by one wrist and stopping her before she could finish the cut.

"Cian, wait a minute-," she said. "Your hands..."

Cian's eyes flashed blue, the thirteen-year-old looking up at her mother in annoyance. "Mom, for the last time, I've _got _it," she said, adjusting her grip slightly. "Can I just _please _finish my drills sometime this _century_?"

"I'm just trying to help," said Kaylin.

"Yeah, well, I know what I'm doing," said Cian, pulling her wrist out of her mother's grip and stepping away.

_No, you don't. _Kaylin wanted to say. _You're thirteen. You have no clue._

Kaylin frowned, watching as Cian raised the sword up again. She tried not to think of the Foundlings at thirteen, about how none of them would ever be allowed _near _a sharpened weapon, and tried instead to think about herself at that age. It didn't help, considering she had been trying to kill the Hawklord around that time and doing all sorts of stupid things. This had been a bad idea, she decided. A very bad idea. Why on earth did she think she could supervise Cian's training in Andellen's place?

"Cian—," she began.

Cian shot her a look, but the voice that spoke was not the young girl's.

"_Erenne." _

She looked up, her eyes fixing on the fieflord that had entered the practice room, standing against one bare wall. His eyes were a cool green, in contrast to Cian's frazzled blue-eyed stare. "Would you like to come watch with me?"

She hesitated, because he was taking Cian's side—and damn it, _why _was he taking Cian's side?—but at the combination of the look Cian shot her and his slow nod she relented, walking away from the center of the room and coming to stand next to him. Cian waited until she had gone more than three paces, before taking a deep breath to calm herself starting up the drill again. Kaylin leaned against the wall beside Nightshade and watched, trying not to think about how it hadn't even been a year since she had moved on to edged weapons, and how she was moving entirely too fast for someone who only had a few months of experience.

She glanced at Nightshade, but his eyes and his expression revealed nothing—his expression was blank, and his eyes watched Cian's movements intently, but they were still green, although the color had begun to shift into a more neutral shade. She tried to determine whether or not he was at all worried, but even through the bond between them, his feelings were opaque—she felt nothing but his regard.

When Cian moved a little too fast, lost her footing, and nearly pitched forward, Kaylin heard herself take in a sharp breath. The girl straightened up and glanced once at her, before continuing on with the set of movements. The glance was a precaution, to see whether or not she had moved. Kaylin hadn't, but it had been a close thing—she saw Nightshade's arm twitch slightly, as though he had been about to hold it out in front of her.

"She will never improve if you do not let her practice," he said, a slight hint of reprimand clear in his voice.

She exhaled. He was right, she knew—she would have said the same thing if she was watching a future Hawk train and someone else was acting like she was, but this wasn't just _any _teenager. This was Cian, and Kaylin knew better than anyone that she was capable of moving with almost-Barrani grace one moment and then knocking over an entire shelf's worth of items the next. Putting a blade in her hands was just nervewracking—the girl had very little idea of what to do with it and thought she did.

"I'm just worried," she said. "What if she gets cut?"

"Then she gets cut," said Nightshade calmly. "And she learns why. And she learns not to make the same mistakes. She will not be a child forever, and there are certain dangers you will not be able to protect her from, as there are certain truths she will have to learn on her own."

Kaylin's frown deepened, but she said nothing, turning away from Nightshade to watch Cian again. She felt the mark on her cheek warm slightly as she watched her daughter, Nightshade's words filling her mind.

_It is not_ _easy. _

Kaylin snorted. _Easy for you to say, _she said. _You're not worried._

_No, Erenne. But in other things, I must also do the same._

Kaylin paused, thinking through the implications of that. She glanced at Nightshade, but he wasn't looking at her, his eyes were firmly on Cian. Kaylin exhaled slowly, turning away from him and opening up her mind again.

_...Other things? _she asked.

His silence was answer enough. She felt the mark on her cheek cool, his mind slowly withdrawing from her, and Kaylin sighed slightly at the loss of the connection, leaning back against the wall and continuing to watch Cian. It was easier this time. Not by much, but it was easier. After a while, she found herself no longer thinking about the potential dangers, and instead considering Nightshade and his reaction.

What was he worried about? What did he think was more dangerous to Cian right now than that sword?

As if he sensed the direction of her thoughts—and he probably did—Nightshade stepped forward, walking away from her and moving to Cian as she finished her set. He offered advice and corrected her grip. Kaylin watched, but found her attention beginning to wane after a while—it was all things she had heard before.

The lesson went on.

At length, Nightshade stopped, stepping away from her and raising a hand. Cian frowned, confused, but she stepped away from him as well, sheathing her sword.

"You may want to stop practicing," he said. "You have a guest."

"A guest?" asked Cian, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"Cian?"

The door to the practice room opened, admitting a dark-haired fourteen-year-old boy. Kaylin watched, blinking in surprise. Cian's eyes rounded, becoming blue with surprise for a moment before slowly shifting towards emerald green.

"The hallway led me here this time," said Kaden, frowning. "Um...am I interrupting?"

"Not really," said Cian. "But what are you _doing_ here?"

"I—I mean, my parents and I were wondering if you wanted to come to the City tonight—apparently there's going to be some fireworks and stuff for the first day of spring."

Inwardly, Kaylin winced. She'd forgotten about that. The Swords were going to have a _long _night.

"That's today?" asked Cian.

"Yeah," said Kaden. "Do you want to come?"

Cian paused for a moment, then glanced meaningfully at Kaylin. She shrugged to show that she didn't particularly mind either way, and the both of them turned towards Nightshade. He met Cian's stare first, his eyes and his expression neutral again. "You may go if you wish," he said. "But you should leave quickly, before the sun sets. Return tomorrow before noon."

Cian bowed politely, but a grin broke onto her face as she ran out of the room, running past her friend. He turned, a frown appearing on his face for a moment as he watched her shoot past him.

"Just let me grab my things!" Kaylin heard Cian call from the hallway.

Kaden sighed. He ran a hand through his hair, and then, with a long-suffering expression on his face that reminded her in that moment very much of Severn, nodded at her, offered Nightshade a quick bow, and hurried from the room after Cian.

Kaylin listened to their footsteps fade, a faint smile on her face.

The smile faded as she caught the color of Nightshade's eyes.

They were blue. A faint blue, but blue nonetheless. His expression, however, wasn't angry. It was instead, contemplative and almost...almost sad. He turned away from her, beginning to walk towards the door, and she understood that he had meant for her to see that. And she understood what he had meant by 'other things'.

An image flashed through her mind—one she had just witnessed, but one that she now saw in a new light—Cian's green, _green _eyes as she ran past her friend, a grin on her face, and Kaden's exasperated look and faint smile as he followed after her.

Swords were not the only things that cut.

And the cuts made by swords would heal.

Nightshade paused as he moved past her, as if he had felt the weight of her realization too. She felt him regard her for a moment, before he continued on, leaving her in the practice room alone. His words echoed in her mind as he walked away, and she felt them fill her as she lowered her eyes to the floor, taking a deep breath.

_I must also abide. _


End file.
